Waffles Taste Best with a Little Bit of Adventure
by MusicalGeniusAnimeLover
Summary: This one is no longer being used, but you can check out my new version any time! Thanks!
1. AN Very IMPORTANT!

__Alrighty then :)

I have some news for any and all of the readers of this story!

I am completely rewriting this!

I plan on having my first chapter out by March 3rd, 2012 but possibly sooner.

My writing style has seriously changed since I began writing this story, and after rereading it, I have realized that i am still interested in it.

I did not care for how quickly I was rushing Gray's and Angela's relationship, so I plan on prolonging it and having it more savory ;)

But do not fret dear readers for it will be done soon enough! I hope you will all continue reading this story and enjoying it, because I know I like it so much more now that it's revised than I did after rereading it.

So tune back in in about a week and I should be done with it!

Thanks again you awesome readers and reviewers!

Love Lexi :-)


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you so much to ImRandom and EvilGiggles13 for reviewing. THEY are the reason I am continuing. I was waiting for at least one review and I finally got some :3. So keep reviewing if you want more ;D.**_

_**Quick Note: Drinking age in this story is 17, just deal with it :), I need it to be that way for the story okay? Thanks, now onto the story! :D Enjoy and Review ;).**_

Chapter 2

He quickly stood up, still clutching his head and yelled at me, "What the hell you stupid bitch!"

I simply rolled my eyes and smirked as I walked past him nonchalantly, all the time thinking that he's a hot arrogant pig.

He grabbed my wrist, and I became dizzy as he spun me back around to face him. I stumbled into his chest, and he quickly held me in place to balance the sudden weight change. I stared at his jugular as I regained control of my body. A crimson blush was covering my face, neck and collar bone, and I cursed at the fact that he had such an impact on me.

I looked up at his face through my eyelashes, and I could clearly see a slight blush on him as well. I stepped back, keeping my hands on his chest.

"S-sorry!" He stuttered looking down at our bodies that were still melded together. I shook my head and stepped back, I noticed that he seemed slightly reluctant to let me go, but I shook it off as reading too much into it. He scratched the back of his neck as he stared at the ground.

I found that my voice was quieter than usual when I said, "I never got your name..."

He looked back at me and smirked, all traces of embarrassment gone from his features. I frowned, I thought it was cute when he was so vulnerable, but of course he had to conjure up some cocky attitude...The bastard.

"Gray," He said as he turned around and began to walk to the bottom of the hill. I quickly put my boot back on and chased after him.

When I finally caught up to him, I laced my fingers behind my back and walked by his side.

"So...What is the family that owns this ranch like?" I asked, hoping that he wouldn't be a complete asshole and not answer me.

There was a somewhat pregnant silence as I waited with baited breath for him to reply. After a few more seconds I huffed and began walking faster.

"They're okay I guess. I really don't have opinions of family members because I feel like I have to at least tolerate them," I heard him say behind me. I slowed down and looked back at him as he caught back up with me.

"Oh," I muttered, not sure of how to reply to his answer.

We stopped talking and just enjoyed the scenery as we walked to the entrance of the ranch.

"Gray!" A really pretty blonde ran toward us with small wild pig in her arms.

"What's wrong Kathy?" Gray asked eying the surprisingly quiet pig.

Kathy held the pig out to Gray to examine it.

"A pack of wild dogs attacked him, but I chased them away. He got scratched up pretty badly. Can you take a look at him?"

I stared at Gray as he touched the pig softly, all evidence of being cocky or a jerk swiped off his face, and replaced by a worried serious expression. He scratched the back of the pig's ear and the animal oinked softly. A relieved smile grazed his lips and he looked back up at Kathy.

"He'll be fine, just put some medical gauze on the wounds and feed him once a day. He should be able to go back into the wild after a week."

Kathy sighed in relief and thanked Gray, then introduced herself to me. I smiled and talked with her a while, but kept glancing at Gray who stared at us, mostly me.

Kathy said her goodbyes to us and then walked back the way she came.

"Are you a vet or something?" I broke the silence with a small giggle. He smirked and got closer to me.

I gulped as he bent down and whispered in my ear, "Nope."

He stepped back and began walking back to the barn. I glared at his back and huffed, then turned around and walked back into the Ganache Mine District.

* * *

I stepped into Waffle Town and walked strait to the Sundae Inn. It was 7:00, therefore the bar was open. I made a beeline to the bar, sat down, and ordered an apple martini.

Kathy came and sat beside me as I chugged my third martini.

"Are you alright?" She asked me in a worried, mother-like voice.

"That stupid jerk makes me want to rip my hair out." I mumbled, feeling a little buzzed now.

"Who, Gray?"

I nodded in reply, and peered at her from the corner of my. I saw a small grin grace her face, and I turned fully to stare at her.

"What?" I was getting even more annoyed by the second. Kathy chuckled and shook her head in what looked like disbelief. I stared at her incredulously.

"I'm just surprised Gray is acting like this. He never shows any emotion, even on a good day to people who have been trying to get him to open up for ages. You've been here for one day, and he's trying to flirt with you, you're totally a legend right now Dani," Kathy smiled and laughed. I gulped down the rest of my martini and rolled my eyes.

"Whatever," I mumbled.

The door to the Inn opened and closed, and in stepped Mr. Jerk Face himself. I quickly turned around and ordered another martini which earned me a worried look from Hayden the bartender.

I didn't look when Gray sat next to me, instead I sipped my martini. Kathy looked at me then at him, then back to me and smiled. I rolled my eyes when she giggled and went back to work.

"Apple Martini." I heard Gray say beside me. I still kept my eyes on my glass, which I swiveled around, sloshing the red liquid around. I proceeded to chug the rest of the alcohol and order another one.

"I think you've had enough Dani," Hayden said to me in a fatherly fashion.

I glared and asked again for another one. Hayden sighed and whipped up another apple martini.

"You might want to slow down," I heard Gray mutter beside me.

"A-and you might wanna shut up-hic," I slurred and chugged my now fifth martini. I could feel Gray smirking and staring at me. I wanted to slap him, but when I got up to teach him a lesson, I felt myself teeter on my feet, and before I knew it I was falling.

Warm, strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I looked up with cloudy eyes at Gray's worried face. He picked me up bridal style and paid for all of our martinis, then walked outside with me in his arms.

"L-hic-let me goooo!" I whined and beat on his chest. I did my best to glare at him, but all I could get out was a weird stink eye. I kicked my legs and yelled and screamed, trying anything to make him put me down. I hated him right now, and I wanted nothing more than to get away from him, but he wouldn't let go, in fact he held me tighter.

I finally gave up and wrapped my arms around his neck and snuggled into him. He smelled good, like hay and rain.

"You're a jerk," I whispered. He smiled and put his cheek on my head.

"I know."

I smiled sleepily and yawned. I was so tired, my body felt like it was screaming for sleep.

Gray opened my door and stepped in, then kicked it closed. I wanted to stay in his arms, near the warmth that was emanating from his body. He sat on my bed with me and took my shoes off, then put me down.

He was about to get up when I grabbed his sleeve.

"Don't leave me," I could hear that little girl inside me from my past. Gray sat back down and brushed my hair out of my face. I smiled at him sleepily, then mere seconds later, I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up the next morning with a killer migraine. I sat up and rubbed my eyes then my temples in sheer pain. It felt like I had been asleep forever, but one look at the clock on my nightstand, made me realize that I had only been asleep for five hours.

I sighed and willed my aching body to get off of the bed. I looked through my drawer and found my bottle of Aspirin and quickly dry swallowed three of the pills. I needed to eat, but I had a feeling that if I ate anything, than it would all come back out.

I went to the bathroom and got in the shower. The freezing water made me jump back and squeal, which made me hit my head on the bar where my soaps and shampoos were, which then made me go flying forward and thus hitting my head on the faucet. I sat there in the shower crying in pain for a few minutes. When the water was finally warm, I forced myself to get up and wash myself. I touched my forehead softly, and looked back at my hand that had blood all over it.

"Dammit, " I whispered.

I tried to ignore the pain, and washed up. When I was done, I stepped out carefully and wrapped a towel around me.

I went back into the room, and walked over to my suitcase. I pulled out a green tunic and some brown leggings. I looked around for a bra and some underwear, but the only ones I could find were my black lacy bra and thong. I groaned and slipped them on, then went over to my mirror to assess my head wound.

It looked even worse than I thought, and it was still bleeding quite a bit.

I got dressed and hurried into town, holding a cloth to my head to help stop the bleeding. I walked over to the Clinic and stepped inside. An old woman sat at the front counter. I walked up to her and introduced myself.

"Hi, I'm Dani the new farmer. Is the doctor in?"

"I'm Irene, and if you go right around the corner there, you can see Dr. Jin," She told me in a raspy voice. I nodded and went the direction she told me to go to.

A thin guy with long black hair and glasses was sitting at a chair behind a desk.

I cleared my throat and he turned around.

"How can I help you?" He asked. I took the towel off and pointed to my cut. He beckoned me to the hospital bed, and I gladly obliged.

He pulled out some medical gauze, alcohol, and some other medical supplies. He took long tweezer looking things and picked up a cotton ball that was soaked in the cleaning alcohol. I hissed when he dabbed at the cut, but kept still.

"How did you cut yourself exactly?" He asked while cleaning the wound.

"I fell in my shower," I muttered. It was more embarrassing than I thought it would be to tell him, so I was blushing like crazy. He laughed lightly and smiled.

When he was done cleaning it, He made a bandage with the gauze and medical tape.

"Is it going to leave a scar?" I asked.

He finished putting the bandage on and replied, "No, it should heal up in a couple of day and not leave a mark." I smiled in relief and thanked him.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked.

He shook his head, "No charge for your first visit. Now please be careful alright?" I nodded in appreciation and walked out of the Clinic feeling much better.

* * *

I walked over to the dock where Pascal's ship was moored, and leaned over the wooden rail. I stared out at the crystal blue water and breathed in the smell of the ocean. I looked down and saw what looked like a tiny face. I stepped back with wide eyes and looked back down.

The little face smiled at me, and all of a sudden it was rushing toward me, with water trailing behind it.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to make myself snap out of whatever freakish dream I was having.

I opened my eyes again, and saw a tiny elfish looking man, wearing a violet colored jumper and hat.

"You found me! You found me!" He did a little dance and squealed, obviously delighted.

I blinked. The little guy kept looking at me and grinning. I blinked again. Nope, still there.

"I must be hallucinating," I concluded.

"No! I'm your first sprite here to help you! I'm Kai, the ocean sprite! It's nice to meet you warrior!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, totally befuddled.

He frowned, "You have to be the warrior! You're the one who keeps having dreams about the Harvest Goddess!"

Suddenly I remembered all of my dreams about the beautiful woman with long blue hair and wings.

"The one about the pretty lady?"

"Yes! That one! That one! I knew you were the warrior! Now I have to help you complete two tasks!" He squealed and jumped up and down.

"Huh?"

_**Soooooo, what do you guys think so far? I hope you all like it! Please review, or I won't write anymore :(. **_


	3. Chapter 3

**_I am so sorry it has taken me this long to write this! I've been really busy and haven't had much time to get on here and write. Anyways, thanks to my reviewers! Keep it up if you want more. I don't need many, just a few to help me get better. Praise is nice, but I want to get better at writing so constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!_**

**_Thanks! Lexi :)_**

Chapter 3

I stared, completely dumbfounded at the prospect of having some weird little elf looking guy telling me that I'm some kind of warrior.

He suddenly pulled a scroll out of midair and a small poof on his face made secretary-like glasses appear on the tip of his nose.

I have completely lost my mind, it's official, it's gone.

"Alright! Your first task is too~Befriend the mermaid Lydia! Easy enough!" My mouth hung open at the prospect of mermaids actually being real, but apparently there was way more than mermaids I had to deal with.

"Oops! Before that you have to find a partner to help you on your tasks! It has to be a male human! You need to go find one right now!" I just continued to stare at him, thinking my drinking and hitting my head was making me have this crazy delusion. The little guy pouted and jumped up and pinched my arm.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, holding my arm and glaring at the little guy.

"You aren't dreaming! This is important! The Harvest Goddess is counting on you to save both the spiritual and the human world! Now hurry up and go find a partner!" He chided me.

"But, who do I choose for a partner?"

"Well, he has to be someone you have feelings for! He has to be someone you would care about if he got hurt!"

I racked my brain, trying to think of someone that I have feelings for, but the only guy that came to mind was Gray. Seeing as how I couldn't think of anyone else, I huffed and told myself that he's the only one. This was one fucked up day.

* * *

I trudged over to the Brownie Ranch District and made my way up the hill. The animals, like yesterday, were out in the pasture. I went into the barn, and again like yesterday there was Gray bare-chested and stunning.

He noticed me right away and put the large bale of hay down in a stall. Then, he took his gloves off and placed them on the shipping bin and walked towards me.

I looked up at him then down at the floor of the barn. He was so close to me now. I had absolutely no idea how I was supposed to ask him to be my "partner."

"Thank you for yesterday," I whispered, still staring at my feet. I felt him move closer to me, our chests barely touching, and put his hand behind me onto the wall. He gripped my chin lightly and pulled my face up to look at him.

"Don't worry about it," He mumbled, looking all over my face with his crystal like eyes.

We just stood there, looking into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity. A small throat clearing interrupted our staring session. Our attention was brought to Kai, who stood next to us, smiling knowingly. Gray's entire body froze and his mouth was wide open.

He jumped back and exclaimed, "What the hell is that?"

Kai ignored him and looked at me, then asked, "This is the guy you want to be partnered with? Are you sure? He's not exactly what I was expecting..."

"Don't judge my decisions dammit. You wanted me to choose a partner, and he was the only one that came to mind, so what now?"

Gray just looked at me then back to Kai.

"Dani, what the hell is going on?" Gray asked me, pulling me around to face him. I sighed and looked into his eyes.

"I still don't completely know myself, but Kai here says I need a partner to help me complete crazy impossible tasks and help the Harvest Goddess. I chose you because you were the only guy that came to mind, so here we are," I explained. It didn't even make sense to me the way I explained it. He didn't talk for a few minutes, just stood there, holding my shoulders and looking at my face for any sign of this situation being a joke.

"You're kidding right?" He asked. I shook my head put my hands on his bare chest.

"Will you please just go along with it, so I can get this all over with?" I stood on my tip toes and whispered in his ear. I could feel his breath on my neck, and I was tempted to bite his ear, but I didn't.

I felt him sigh and nod next to my face. I pulled back to smile at him. He scowled and pulled his hat over his eyes, but I could clearly see a tint of pink on his cheeks.

Kai snapped his fingers which caused us to look back over at him. I had almost forgot he was even standing there.

"Okay lovebirds, let's get this show on the road!" Kai giggled and walked outside.

"We are not lovebirds!" I exclaimed, completely embarrassed. Gray chuckled and let go of me, then fixed his jumpsuit. We walked out of the barn, not knowing what the hell we were getting ourselves into.

* * *

We walked past the hill and into a picnic area of the Brownie Ranch District. The picnic area rested on a really steep cliff. There was a sign, saying in big bold letters to not get to close to the edge, but Kai apparently didn't even see it, because he walked right over to the very edge of the cliff. Gray and I shared a worried glance, then looked back at Kai who was now facing us on the edge.

"You guys have to climb down the cliff and then, when you're at the bottom, you have to walk along the rocks till you see a beautiful mermaid with green hair named Lydia," Kai announced. Gray and I just stared at the little moron.

Kai's smile faded away and he then monotoned, "You should probably get a move on."

"No," Gray and I both said bluntly. Kai rolled his eyes then walked up to us. He stood behind us and raised his arms, chanting in some weird unknown language. A huge gust of wind began to push Gray and I toward the edge, and I yelped, telling Kai to stop.

Our feet were on the ledge, and the wind suddenly gave a featherlight shove, causing us both to start falling. We screamed as we started tumbling down, missing the rocks that jutted out on the the steep cliff side. I felt Gray grab my arm and pull me close to him. He held me tight as we waited for impact.

We crashed into the salty water below us. The waves were pushing and pulling us in every direction imaginable. I was losing consciousness from trying to hold my breath, and gray was struggling to keep me in his arms. He noticed that I was starting to give up, and with a sudden burst of energy he swam to the surface with me in tow.

I choked on the bitter taste of the ocean as Gray held on to me and swam toward the shore, making sure to keep my head above water.

We crawled onto the beach, both of us completely drained and sore. I lied on my back and coughed up some water that had leaked into my lungs.

Gray scooted over to me and asked, "You okay?" I looked up at him, the sun making his eyes rival the clearness of the summer sky.

I blushed and muttered, "Do I look okay?" To that reply, Gray simply rolled his eyes and lied down next to me. We stayed like that for a few minutes, our bodies drained from our earlier "swim."

"Come on, it's just a little water, let's get a move on!" Kai stood next to us grinning. I glared at him furiously, but before I could do anything to the little pipsqueak, Gray held his tiny neck in his hands and squeezed.

"You little brat! I'm going to kill you!" Gray screamed as he wrenched the little sprite's neck.

"Can-t k-ill me! I-m in-de-stru-ctib-le!" Kai choked out. Gray glared and threw Kai as far as he could into the ocean. Kai became a little speck on the horizon until he plopped into the sparkling blue waters.

"I think you may have overdone it," I mumbled, still tired from our earlier experiences.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey! I really am sorry to have not written in so long, but here we go :). By the way, Lydia is Leia from other Harvest Moon games, but she looks a lot more grown up in this version.**_

Kai tumbled back onto the shore and shivered, glaring at Gray.

"Now where is this Lala Mermaid chick?" Gray asked nonchalantly, attempting to hold in his laughter at the dripping wet mini man.

"It's Lydia! Lydia you carrot-top moron!" Kai screamed and jumped on Gray's head. Speaking of Gray's "head," I looked around for the hat that usually sat on top of that messy orange hair of his. When I finally spotted it, I stood up and walked towards it, Kai and Gray still fighting in the background.

His blue cap was just barely visible from behind a huge rock range. I finally reached it after walking a good 100 yards, and walked behind the rock to pick it up. I brushed the sand off the cap and smiled at it's simple design.

_Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,_  
_Lavender's green_  
_When you are king, dilly dilly,_  
_I shall be queen_

I heard a beautiful voice echo around me. I looked around, but couldn't seem to find the source. I climbed one of the very big rocks and searched for the owner of the beautiful sound. That's when I saw her.

_Who told you so, dilly dilly,_

_Who told you so?_  
_'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,_  
_That told me so_

I stared, unbelieving that there was really a mermaid in front of me, singing no less. Her hair was long and green, and her tail went from orange to a deep pink as it traveled down to her fins. Her long hair covered her breasts, but I felt kind of like a pervert staring at her while she was singing. I began to climb towards her. As far as I could tell, she hadn't noticed me yet.

_Call up your friends, dilly, dilly_

_Set them to work_  
_Some to the plough, dilly dilly,_  
_Some to the fork_

As I made my way down, I had an uncontrollable yawn come over me. I was suddenly very tired as I crept behind her to get a closer look.

_Some to the hay, dilly dilly,_  
_Some to thresh corn_  
_Whilst you and I, dilly dilly,_  
_Keep ourselves warm_

She suddenly turned around and smiled, staring right at me, her teeth as sharp as a shark's. My blood ran cold as she continued to sing, beckoning me towards her.

_Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,_  
_Lavender's green_  
_When you are king, dilly dilly,_  
_I shall be queen_

I climbed up on the rock she was sitting on and felt my eyes start to close. I was so sleepy, but I wanted to listen, but soon enough, I had fallen asleep upon her lap as she stroked my hair lovingly.

_Who told you so, dilly dilly,_

_Who told you so?_  
_'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,_  
_That told me so._

_***3rd person :S**_

Gray and Kai were still struggling on the beach when Kai finally shouted that they needed to stop acting like children.

"Truce?" Kai asked, breathing rather heavily. He held his small hand out for Gray to take.

"Truce," Gray replied, taking the small hand and giving it a firm shake.

"Okay, come on you two, let's go find Lydia!" Kai smiled and looked over to where Dani was once sitting. It took all of five seconds for the two to figure out that Dani wasn't there.

"Oh my Goddess! Where's Dani?" Kai exclaimed, his eyes almost popping out of his tiny skull. Gray's heart clenched as he frantically looked around for the girl. All he could see behind him was open beach for miles. In front of him was a long line of large rocks jutting out from the ocean. Gray went on a hunch and began making his trek towards the rocks.

Kai climbed onto Gray's head and held on tight, but Gray ignored him, only worried about Dani's safety.

He searched among the rocks, his heart pulsated in his throat, making it hard for Gray to swallow the thick dryness of his mouth.

"Where is she?" Gray muttered under his breath. Kai suddenly perked up and hopped off of Gray's head, landing softly on the sandy earth surrounding them.

"She had to have gone looking for Lydia! That would explain her disappearance!" Kai smiled, his face reassuring, but not completely convincing. Gray nodded, but his face, though he tried to keep his composure, betrayed his attempt at being positive. He scanned the rocks for any sign of Dani, but could find none. He was getting angry with his fear of not being able to find her.

He started thinking about it logically and came to the conclusion that it could be possible that she climbed up to get a better look at her surroundings, so Gray climbed the large tan rock in front of him.

He struggled to the top and observed the area, and that's when he saw her. A woman with long green hair held Dani in her lap, stroking her hair softly, possessively. Kai nudged up beside him and gasped when he saw the woman holding Dani.

"That's her! That's Lydia!" Kai whispered harshly, shoving Gray's shoulder as if he couldn't see himself. Gray rolled his eyes and groaned at his small companion. He began to climb down, but Kai stopped him, holding onto his sleeve.

Gray stared at him pointedly, wondering why the hell the sprite was stopping him from saving Dani.

"You can't just sneak up on a mermaid, especially when they hold someone like that! Unless you want Dani to die a quick and horrible death, then you need to listen to me!" Kai hissed. Gray glanced back at Dani, her face serene and deep in slumber, then back to Kai and nodded his head. He climbed back to his spot on the rock.

"So how are we going to get Dani?"

"Mermaids tend to choose one person that they love as if they are a child or lover. With the kindness Lydia is showing Dani, I'm guessing that Lydia has chosen her as a child like figure. If Lydia is disturbed from caring for Dani, then she could easily break her neck. You must approach cautiously. I can't help you once you go down, but she will ask you to solve a riddle. You only have one shot at answering, so don't screw it up!"

Gray was willing to do anything to take Dani back from Lydia. Though beautiful, Gray didn't trust Lydia at all. He quietly climbed down from the rock and approached the mermaid carefully.

He had walked only a few feet when she turned and glared at him, baring her sharp teeth.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice as sinister as they come. Gray glanced from Lydia to Dani and gulped down his thumping heart.

"My name is Gray."

"Why are you here?" She challenged, her violet eyes turning dark. She held Dani possessively and stared at him as if daring him to come any closer.

"I am here to take the girl back," Gray could feel the sweat from his concentration pool above his brow and drip down his temple. The mermaid held her gaze and frowned.

"No."

"Please, I'll do anything!" Gray exclaimed, worried that Lydia wouldn't even give him the slightest chance at rescuing Dani.

The mermaid's brow quirked and she examined Gray from head to toe.

"Anything?" She questioned. Gray nodded curtly.

"You seem courageous, so I will give you a riddle. You are only permitted to give one answer. If your answer is wrong, I will kill you and keep the girl. If your answer is right then you can take her back, and you will earn my respect."

Gray nodded in understanding, waiting for the question that would decide his and Dani's fate.

"What always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?" Lydia's riddle confused Gray. He thought hard about it, contemplating on the possible answers. He stared at the water beyond Lydia and thought it over. The waves pulled back and forth, and gave Gray an idea.

He stared at Lydia, hoping to the heavens that his answer was right.

"A river," Gray answered with mock confidence, hiding the frightened butterflies that flew uncontrollably in his clenched stomach.

Lydia smiled and closed her eyes.

Gray shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the outcome. A sudden weight change knocked him off balance, and he fell onto the sand.

He opened his eyes to find Dani laying on top of him, her hazel eyes starting to flutter open.

_***1st person**_

I opened my eyes to find Gray beneath me in a somewhat awkward position. My legs straddled either side of him and my hands rested on his chest. I felt my cheeks grow completely red, and I quickly sat up, which just made the situation worse. Now I was still straddling him, but in a much more intimate way.

I glanced at Gray's face to see his reaction, but he quickly sat up and embraced me.

"Gray?" I asked, confused as to his strange behavior. He stood up with me still in his arms and I got goosebumps when he pulled me in closer for a tighter hug.

"Are you okay?" I asked, perplexed at his sudden change in character.

He pulled me back and searched my face, for what I don't know, and gave a sweet crooked smile. I felt myself melt a little with that smile, but attempted to keep my composure, even though I'm sure that I'm as red as a tomato.

"You can go now," a voice said solemnly, lonely. I turned to see Lydia weeping, her face in her hands. I stepped towards her, holding Gray's sleeve.

"I'll visit," I smiled, and Lydia looked back at me, and gave a nod and a sharp smile.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey guys, sorry for the wait! Took me longer to write this than I thought. Anyways, review if you want more, or I won't update ;)!**_

The sun was now setting after we had said our goodbyes to Lydia. We walked back to the cliffs where Kai had pushed me and Gray. I looked up at the rocks that were about the size of a variety of skyscrapers.

Gray and I looked back at Kai questioningly.

"How are we supposed to get back up there?" Gray asked the question that was playing on my mind. Kai rolled his eyes, for what I don't know.

"Close your eyes," He commanded. I opened my mouth to question his motives, but quickly shut it when I saw the fierce glare that he gave me. My eyes fluttered closed, and I unconsciously reached for Gray's hand. He didn't take his back, but rather gave my hand a tight but not hurtful squeeze with his own.

Suddenly, a warm wind rushed over us, and my eyes popped open to see the beach below us getting farther away. My stomach lurched from the feeling of suffocating, and I clung to Gray for support. He kept his eyes closed, but held me regardless.

We landed upon the grass in front of the large oak tree that stood in the middle of Brownie Ranch. I let go of Gray and stumbled behind the tree where I promptly threw up.

"That's why you should have kept your eyes closed!" Kai announced. I ignored him and wiped my mouth with the back of my glove. Luckily there wasn't anything heinous on my clothes, so I stood shakily and walked back to the duo.

I glanced up at Gray to see whether or not he was grossed out by my sudden illness. Surprisingly, he only looked worried.

"You okay?" he asked when I had stepped closer to him. I nodded, feeling my cheeks blaze, and quickly looked away. The sun was just a line on the horizon now, melting away with its warmth. I stared after it, feeling the queasiness start to settle.

Kai yawned and stretched his little arms over his head.

"It's too late to continue with the other task, so you guys can go do your own thing for now, but be ready for tomorrow, I'll be looking for you guys," and with that, Kai disappeared in a small cloud of purple smoke.

"How the hell does he do that?" I asked out loud, mostly to my self.

Gray shrugged and began to lead me away from the cliff. I didn't say anything as we walked toward the entrance of the Brownie Ranch.

I turned abruptly and stopped him. I glanced at the dirt road then back to his tan face.

"I'm sorry for roping you into all of this."

He smirked and closed the gap between us, the only space left between our faces.

"I'm happy to help."

We stared at each other for a few seconds that felt like ages. His crystalline eyes held a beautiful spark that I couldn't pinpoint, but before I could really figure it out, he began to dip his head towards my own. My entire body flushed as his breath lingered on my lips.

He stopped, barely an inch away from kissing me, "I am twenty-five you know."

He stepped back and I felt somewhat rejected. Before I could speak back, Gray sauntered back up the hill to the ranch, leaving me to walk home alone. My head ached, and I suddenly remembered the cut I had obtained earlier this morning.

I began to walk back home, massaging my temples at the same time. Goddess how I wanted to smack Gray, and what the hell did he mean when he said that he's twenty-five? Ugh, I just don't get guys.

It took about thirty minutes for me to make it to my house, and by then I was so tired I almost collapsed outside my door, but I made it into my house and shut the door behind me.

I didn't bother changing or even taking a shower and just fell on top of the straw matress.

As soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep.

_"I'm afraid...life as we know it...will no longer coexist with the human world...Unless one brave warrior...stands up for our world as well as the humans'...to save us all from peril...and destruction...I must go...for I have lost the strength to protect the two worlds...and I must lay dormant until that brave warrior arrives...This warrior will complete fourteen tasks...Each of you will help the warrior understand and... accomplish these tasks...I'm counting on all of you...so...please-**cough**-please help her. Her tasks will be difficult, but I know **cough** that all of you have the power to help her and the boy she chooses make the right decisions. But in order to revive the island and myself, the boy and the warrior must-"_

"Dammit!" I growled when the sun shone in my eyes from my measly covered window, leaving the dream lackluster yet again. I sat up and rubbed my face tiredly.

I made my way to my bathroom, and stripped of my clothing as I turned on the hot water.

I stepped into the small shower and let the hot water caress my aching body.

* * *

*3rd Person POV

Gray woke up at the crack of dawn. He usually woke up early, but this was new. He was up so early because of the images that had plagued him all night, images of a certain girl. He had a fitful sleep, full of nightmares of him not being able to rescue Dani, and Lydia killing him and Dani as well. It bothered him that he could've lost both their lives. It bothered him that he cared so much about it...About her.

Gray had never really cared about girls in general before, not to say he hadn't had his share of occasional partners of the opposite sex. He just never really found one that appealed to him, but for some unknown reason, he was drawn to Dani, both mentally and physically. He didn't understand why though. Sure she was attractive and moderately amusing, but it was the fact that he wanted her, both physically and emotionally that confused him.

Voices came from within the hall opposite his small bedroom. Renee, Hannah and Cain were back from their trip to Mineral Town, his hometown.

His cousin Renee invited him to come too, but Gray kindly turned her offer down. He hated the idea of returning to the place that caused him so much pain.

Gray was never very popular, not that he really wanted to be, but practically no one back then liked him, except for the choice few bachelorettes that found his cold behavior attractive. His attitude was caused by his grandfather's constant berating of him. They never got along, but the old man adopted Gray as his own when Gray's parents died when he was ten. Saibara, his grandfather, was a great blacksmith and wanted Gray to follow in his footsteps, but Gray was truly uninterested. He liked working with animals and would rather shovel hay than fix a broken ax. So Saibara would always grind him about his lack of enthusiasm towards his trade, thus causing a large schism between the two of them.

It wasn't long until one of their arguments elated to the point of no return. Saibara had a severe heart attack in the middle of a screaming session between the two of them.

At the hospital, Gray finally felt terrible about all the fights he and his grandfather had shared when they should have been spending as much time with each other as possible. Saibara had a similar revelation, and when Gray stepped into the hospital room, Saibara was the first to apologize for all the angry words he had ever said to his grandson. Gray was shocked to say the least, but recovered by saying his own apology.

"I forgive you, and I can only hope you'll forgive me as well," were the last words the old man uttered before he let death take him away. Gray had sobbed his forgiveness a million times to him within the short amount of time that felt like days.

Gray was eighteen at the time, and felt the need to prove himself to his grandfather, so for a good two years, he ran Saibara's business. He did well too, but he still yearned to work with animals. Thomas, the mayor of Mineral Town, offered to buy the building for a large sum, and Gray agreed to it, seeing as how the new owner that bought it from Thoms was a good friend of his grandfather's.

He was twenty, and was offered a job by his aunt and uncle on Waffle Island to work on their incredibly large ranch. He gladly accepted and set out to accomplish his dream of working with animals.

His main goal now at twenty-five was to get his own ranch and make a name for himself, but he had a feeling all this magic stuff was going to get in the way, though for some reason, he didn't mind that much. The most probable reason, though he would never admit it out loud was the indescribable girl he was destined to help, Dani.

Gray sighed, hearing a soft knock at his door. He glanced at the clock, it read in big bold green letters that it was six o' clock. Had he really been laying there just thinking about everything for two hours?

"Gray? Are you in there?" Renee's voice floated through the door slightly muffled.

He stood walked to the door, opening it to reveal his younger cousin staring up at him. He stood in his plain blue boxers tiredly, giving her a questioning look.

"Sorry, I just wanted to tell you we were back," She muttered, unfazed by his muscular chest beaming her right in her face. She was used to his usual bare minimum of dress in the mornings, she looked at him kind of like a brother, so she was never really flustered or anything around him.

"Whatever," He muttered, but ruffled her hair at the same time, telling her he wasn't trying to be mean. She gave him a small glare and sauntered off. He chuckled and returned to his room, closing the door in the process. Instead of his usual attire, he put on a black t-shirt and blue jeans, seeing as how it was his day off, then stared in the mirror, examining himself. He never really found himself to be attractive, although many women believed he was.

He then simply huffed a tired sigh and worked his way outside, greeting his relatives and grabbing an apple on his way. Instead of heading to the large oak tree like he usually did, he made his way to the Caramel River District, deciding to visit the girl that had been plaguing his dreams.

* * *

He stood at her door, debating on whether or not to knock. Finally, he built up the courage to just knock.

No answer. He knocked again, and still received no answer. He stared at the door perplexed.

Her lights were on, but she wasn't answering...what if she was hurt? He had taken notice of the bandage on her head from yesterday, but decided not to question her about it. But what about now, what if she hurt herself again? A sudden surge of worry welled up in his belly and he quickly took action. He turned the knob, praying for the chance that she didn't lock the door. His prayers were answered.

The door opened, and as soon as he closed it behind him, another door opened. His heart rose into his throat as he stared at Dani. She hadn't noticed his presence yet due to her search for a towel to cover her cold, wet, naked body. Gray's eyes turned dark as his mouth turned dry. She was mouth-watering.

* * *

*Dani's POV

I searched for a towel. How could I be so stupid to forget to grab a towel from my bureau before taking a shower. I rubbed my arms shivering as I strutted over to my chestnut bureau, pulling open one of the drawers. I suddenly heard a struggled growl come from the doorway.

I glance up to see Gray, shuddering as his eyes traveled up and down my form.

I let a small shriek escape my lips, and I quickly attempted to cover myself with my hands, one arm going across my breasts, and the other trying to cover my personal area.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I screamed out, backing against the wall. He snapped out of his trance and gaped at me.

"I-I knocked, bt you didn't answer, I thought you might have been hurt, so I rushed in and I-uh," He stuttered out. His whole face turned bright red, and he quickly turned away.

As he was turned around, I grabbed the first towel that was within my reach and quickly wrapped it around me. It did a poor job of covering everything up, but at least I wasn't totally exposed now. I cleared my throat and he turned back around, scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry," He mumbled, staring at his feet.

"It's okay," I sighed and walked up to him, pulling his chin up with my hand. He stared hard into my eyes, and before I knew what was happening, he captured my lips in between his own.

I gasped as he pushed me against the closest wall, placing one hand upon it and the other holding my cheek. My eyes fluttered closed as he gripped my waist, pulling me towards him. Goddess he felt good against me. He traced my bottom lip with his wet muscle and I allowed him entrance to my cavern.

I couldn't help but let out a moan as he picked me up by my barely covered ass and held me, deepening the kiss even further. He pressed my back against the wall hard and I wrapped my legs around his muscular torso, feeling something hard press into my bare upper thigh. He let out a low groan and began to kiss down my neck. I didn't even register that the little whimpers that filled the room came from me and I didn't care.

"Gray," I groaned as he traced a sensitive spot on my neck with his fabulous tongue. As the last consonant of his name rolled off my tongue though, he pulled away and put me down, backing up about ten feet. I stared at him perplexed at his sudden mood change, it was like he was struck by electricity and was pushed away.

His chest heaved as he shoved his hand through his bright orange hair that was void of his usual hat.

"We-we can't do this Dani," he choked out. My confused stare turned into one of anger as he muttered those words.

"What the hell is your problem Gray? I don't get it, one second you're all over me and the next you treat me like I'm the bubonic plague! What is so wrong about this?" I exclaimed, my mood going from blissful to pissed in mere seconds.

He came closer and stared at me, his face torn.

"Goddess I want to Dani-"

I interrupted him by wrapping my arms around his neck and gave him a soft peck on his somewhat smooth lips.

"Then why not?" I asked, looking into those gorgeous baby blues of his.

He timidly placed his arms around my waist loosly.

"It's wrong Dani. I'm twenty-five-"

"Who cares? I'm seventeen you're twenty-five, big freaking deal!" I threw my arms up in frustration and turned away from him, my back facing his chest and crossed my arms across my chest.

He placed his hands on my hips softly and pressed his chest against my back.

"I care Dani. I do want this, but I'd be seen as a creep, and you'd be looked down on by everyone, and I don't want that to happen," He sighed into my hair as he bent down to whisper to me.

"But I don't care, and you shouldn't either. People can think what they want, it only matters what we want," I turned and placed my head on his shoulder. He pushed me back gently and examined my face.

"I'm sorry."

"I hate to interrupt this little lover's quarrel, but it's time for the next task."

We were startled by the voice of a third party. We looked over to Kai who sat on the window shield, staring at his nails nonchalantly. I groaned and grabbed the clothes that were lying on my sheets and ran to my bathroom to get dressed. I silently allowed a few tears to fall from my eyes but quickly wiped them away and shrugged into my clothes.

_**REVIEW OR ELSE! ;)**_


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, so i have rewritten this story, but instead of downloading it to this version, I just created a new one. It is officially up now, and if you guys are interested in reading it, please do :) Thanks so much for liking this story in the first place, and I hope you will all continue to read the newer much better version :).

Thanks so much,

Lexi


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